A Lesson Before Dying Barnes And Noble Novels & Stories

"You kill so wonderfully well, little Raven," he murmured, his voice incredibly smooth, "but you did a terrible job hiding yourself. That beautiful scent of yours... wood, jasmine, and blood. It's unmistakable." Thirteen years ago, ten-year-old Romy Hawthorne hid in the vineyard and watched the Supreme Alpha, Rowan Ashwing-Kael Vexley, pull a bloodied blade from her sister’s chest as her home burned. Now, Romy is "Viper"—a lethal, wolf-less assassin. When a twenty-million-dollar bounty drops on the man known as the Beast of Flames, she eagerly takes the job. Her mission: infiltrate his territory, plunge a silver knife into his heart, and avenge her family. But her target is a dangerously powerful Fire Lord who has spent the last decade hunting the real syndicate that murdered his fiancée. When Romy breaks into his stronghold, he doesn't find a victim, he finds the surviving little sister of the woman he lost. And to their absolute horror, she is his fated mate. Bound by an agonizing supernatural tether where every ounce of physical pain she inflicts on him is violently mirrored in her own body, Romy is completely trapped. With enemies closing in, she must make a choice: Will she fulfill her lifelong vow and kill the monster who ruined her life? Or will she surrender to the intoxicating fire of the Alpha who would burn the world down to keep her safe? #Enemies to Lovers #Fated Mates #Assassin/Alpha #Touch Her and Die #Revenge #Forced Proximity, #Misunderstanding #Hidden Identity #Steamy.

The day before the ceremony, my Alpha Heir mate Lysander brought home an Omega who still bore an old mark — and insisted she become his Luna. The beautiful, fragile-looking Omega leaned against his chest, her eyes red. "I can't. If you keep me, my mate will die without me." Lysander answered lightly, "Then I'll give up my Luna-to-be. We'll trade. I'll order him to break your mark at once." The Omega laughed softly. "That’s for the best. But are you sure you don't mind?" Lysander smiled back. "A dull puppet who spent her whole life waiting to be marked by me. How could she compare to you?" She glanced around the chamber and pouted. "I don't like any of this. It was all prepared for her." Lysander kissed her forehead. "I'll replace all of it. Something better. For you." Their love story became the talk of the realm. And no one cared that I was the "dull puppet" who had been traded away.

Marcus Blackwood was sent to kill me. He was supposed to get close, earn my trust, and end my life before I ever discovered what I truly am. But neither of us expected the bond, it happened so fast. At thirty, I thought I had everything, being the CEO of my family’s billion-dollar empire, flawless reputation, a future perfectly mapped out. The world saw a brilliant businessman. They didn’t see the nightmares, the struggles for being lonely and sex starved. Keeping the facade of being a perfect son and a perfect CEO. The woman drenched with blood calling my name. The wolves howling beneath a crimson moon. I was never meant to live in the human world. I am the forbidden son of a vampire princess and a werewolf beta,the hidden heir whose birth once nearly destroyed both clans. A living prophecy powerful enough to reignite a war buried in blood. And Marcus? He was raised by the Vampire Elders to obey without question. His mission is simple: Find me. Understand me, and kill me. But the closer he gets, the more dangerous everything becomes. Because he doesn’t look at me like a target. He looks at me like I belong to him. And when enemies begin to crave each other, when assassins hesitate, when fate binds two men who should never touch… War is no longer the greatest threat, but love is..... And if he has to choose between his orders and my life I don’t know if he’ll kiss me… Or finish the job.

In my past life, I was the ladder they used to climb to paradise. In this life… I am the abyss they will fall into.” Elena Vane died in the freezing ruins of Oakhaven Central Infirmary—betrayed by her husband, Julian, and her stepsister, Lydia. They stole her fortune, destroyed her family… and took the Lunar Ring—the only key to surviving the coming apocalypse. As monsters clawed their way to her door, Elena realized too late— her greatest mistake was trusting them. [DING! Regression successful.] She wakes up eighteen months before Day Zero. This time, the naive heiress is gone. Armed with the Sovereign Space, Elena begins her quiet war: To destroy the man who once owned her future. To ruin the woman who stole her life. To take back everything before the world falls apart. But her most dangerous move may be Caleb Thorne—the infamous Ice King… a man who looks at her like he already knows how this story ends. The frost is coming. And this time— Elena Vane won’t just survive. She will make sure they don’t.

At our high school reunion, my ex announced he was getting married. In the middle of the congratulations, someone piped up. “Hey, where’s Wren tonight? She didn’t show?” The whole room cracked up. “Wren? Probably still earning her keep in some rich guy’s bed.” “She dumped James for money, and now look at him. He’s the wealthiest guy in New York. Bet she’s kicking herself.” Someone snickered. “I heard the guy’s some fat old man. God, how does she even stomach it.” I broke up with James Thorne the year he loved me the most, and walked straight into the arms of another man, a man with money. Now he had a new girlfriend, he’d taken over Thorne Capital, and he was one of New York’s most talked-about young executives. He’d organized this reunion because he couldn’t wait to show off how good his life had turned out. “Enough. Drop it.” In the middle of the laughter, James spoke up. “I have a better life now. Whether Wren is dead or alive has nothing to do with me anymore.” “What if she really were dead?” The room went silent.

Adrian Sinclair has his life carefully planned—straight A’s, a flawless academic record, and zero distractions. As a top student at Oakridge University, he’s always been more comfortable buried in books than dealing with people. But when he’s assigned to tutor Liam Hunter, the school’s star athlete, his perfectly controlled world is thrown into chaos. Liam is everything Adrian isn’t—charming, reckless, and effortlessly popular. He needs to pass his classes to stay on the team, but studying has never been his strong suit. When he meets Adrian, he expects another dull tutor, not someone who challenges him in ways he never expected. What starts as a reluctant partnership soon turns into something deeper. Late-night study sessions, stolen glances, and unspoken words blur the lines between friendship and something more. But as feelings grow stronger, so do the obstacles—fear, expectations, and the undeniable truth that love isn’t something you can plan for. Will Adrian and Liam risk it all to embrace what’s between them? Or will their own insecurities and the pressures of college life keep them apart? A slow-burn college romance filled with longing, tension, and the sweetest of lessons—the kind that only love can teach.

Lena thought graduate school would be about focus, discipline, and finally proving to herself that she belonged in the world of academics. Books, research, and long nights in the library—that was the plan. Romance had no place in it. Especially not with the one man who should have been completely off-limits. Professor Jace Carrington is everything Lena was warned about. Brilliant. Confident. Dangerous in his quiet control. His lectures command attention, his presence silences a room, and when his eyes find hers across the crowded lecture hall, she feels both seen and undone. He is a man who draws lines with precision—and a man who knows exactly how to make someone want to cross them. What begins as a spark of curiosity turns into stolen glances, late-night office hours, and conversations that blur the line between mentorship and something far more intimate. Jace’s rules are simple: no one can know, and she always has a choice. But rules are easy to write and far harder to follow. The deeper Lena falls, the more she realizes this isn’t just attraction—it’s obsession, it’s surrender, and it’s freedom all at once. Secrets, however, have a way of surfacing, and on a campus where whispers spread like wildfire, forbidden love can burn everything in its path. Lessons After Dark is a steamy, character-driven romance filled with power, temptation, and the dangerous pull of a secret relationship. For readers who crave tension, intimacy, and the thrill of crossing every line you were told not to, this story will keep you turning pages long after the lights go out.

WARNING: Some mature content. [This book is currently under major editing] He’s holding me captive and keeping under his thumb. Should I try and escape this vampires hold on me or should I stay and suffer the consequences?

Riley Adams, is a regular High school teenage girl who is constantly made fun of by guys for being a nerd or for the way she dresses in baggy clothes but she pays them no mind and tries her best to be invisible. All she needs right now is money so she decides to do the one thing she is good at.Teaching! She puts up an ad in the school newspaper for tutoring, hoping to earn some extra bucks besides her part time job at the library. Tristan Harris, is the exact opposite of her, captain of the football team and literally the hottest guy in the entire school. Well, basically he is kinda like the so called 'Popular guy' that we all have seen in the teen movies.What happens when Riley and Tristan's path cross each other unexpectedly?Oh and did I mention? They despise each other so much that neither can stand each other's presence in the same room.

Maddie is fresh out of college. She earned her master's in business and is ready to find the perfect job. Her best friend, Maggie, gets her an interview with a hot shot and YOUNG billionaire. He's domineering and angry 99% of the time...but he may have a sweet spot for a young and innocent Madeline. Will his past and current life catch up to Maddie and make her leave him or will she stick with him through thick or thin? A story that exposes what reality can be like. The world world is rough, scary, and hard. Some people make it and others don't, this story may shed some light on what self deprivation can feel like. Please read and enjoy. This is a PURE work of fiction, please remember that when reading. This story contains sexually explicit material along with vulgar language. Read at your own risk.